Walk into any muddy, war-torn hamlet in Velen. You’ll see it immediately. A wooden post, usually near the village center, plastered with ragged papers fluttering in the wind. Most players just sprint up, spam the "Take All" button, and watch their map explode with yellow exclamation points. But if you actually stop to read a Witcher 3 monster hunting flier, you realize CD Projekt Red wasn't just giving you a to-do list. They were building a world.
These notices are the lifeblood of Geralt’s profession. They are desperate, handwritten pleas from people who are often more terrified of the "White Wolf" than the beasts they’re hiring him to kill.
Honestly, it's easy to miss the nuance. We’re used to modern RPGs where quest boards are just UI elements disguised as flavor text. In The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, these fliers serve as the primary bridge between the high-fantasy politics of Kings and Witchers and the gritty, dirt-under-the-fingernails reality of the peasantry. They tell you about the economy, the local superstitions, and the sheer atmospheric dread that permeates the Continent.
The Anatomy of a Witcher 3 Monster Hunting Flier
Ever notice how the language changes depending on where you are? It's brilliant. In the No Man’s Land of Velen, the fliers are illiterate, blunt, and tragic. You’ll find notes about "shriekers" or "devils" because the locals don't know the taxonomies of a Draconid or a Relict. They just know their goats are gone and their kids are next.
Contrast that with Novigrad. The notices there are often flowery or bureaucratic. Sometimes they're even propaganda. You might find a Witcher 3 monster hunting flier tucked between a decree from the Church of the Eternal Fire and a crude advertisement for a local brothel. The game uses these boards to show you that while a peasant in Velen fears a Drowner, a merchant in Novigrad fears a loss of profit—or a Succubus ruining his reputation.
Then there is Skellige. The Isles. Here, the contracts feel like sagas. The fliers reflect a warrior culture where a monster isn't just a pest; it's a test of honor. You aren't just "clearing a zone." You're fulfilling a contract for a Jarl who probably thinks he could do the job himself if he weren't so busy feuding with the neighbor.
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Why Reading the Text Actually Matters for Gameplay
It sounds like a chore. It isn't. If you actually read the text of the contract before heading to the yellow circle on your map, you get a head start on the investigation.
Take the "Devil by the Well" contract in White Orchard. The notice is simple enough, but the flavor text hints at a long-standing grudge and a woman’s tragic death. If you pay attention to the flier and the subsequent journal entries, you aren't just looking for a ghost. You're looking for a Noonwraith. Knowing it’s a Noonwraith before you even draw your silver sword means you can pre-apply Specter Oil and check your Yrden upgrades. It turns a frantic fight into a professional execution. That is the core of the Witcher fantasy.
The Social Commentary Hidden in Plain Sight
Some of the best writing in the game is hidden on these boards. Not every paper is a monster contract. You’ll find notices about lost wedding rings, warnings about "black-clad" Nilfgaardian soldiers, and even meta-humor about the game’s own mechanics.
There’s a specific kind of world-building that happens when you read a Witcher 3 monster hunting flier and realize the reward is 20 crowns. That’s nothing to Geralt. It barely covers the cost of the ingredients for a Swallow potion. But to the village elder who posted it? That’s their entire winter savings. CDPR uses these small numbers to reinforce that Geralt is a mutant on the edge of starvation, working for a society that hates him but desperately needs his blades.
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It’s about the "Small Evil" versus the "Greater Evil." Sometimes the monster on the flier is just a misunderstood creature acting on instinct. The person who wrote the flier, however, might be a murderer trying to cover his tracks.
The Evolution of the Contract System
In the first Witcher game, contracts were mostly about trophy hunting. You’d get a list: "Bring me 10 Drowner brains." It was a classic MMO-style grind. By the time we get to the Witcher 3 monster hunting flier system, the "grind" has been replaced by narrative.
Each contract is a self-contained short story. This is why the game still holds up years later. When you pull a slip of paper off a board in Toussaint (the Blood and Wine expansion), the paper quality is better. The ink is finer. The language is chivalric. The monster might be a Slyzard or a Shaelmaar, but the way it’s presented to you through that initial flier changes how you feel about the hunt.
- Velen: Desperation and mud.
- Novigrad: Greed and religion.
- Skellige: Honor and blood.
- Toussaint: Fairy tales and wine.
How to Spot the High-Value Contracts
If you’re looking to maximize your time, don’t just grab everything. Look for the notices with official-looking seals. These are usually the primary "Monster Contracts" that offer unique trophies for your horse’s saddle and mutagen drops for your skill trees.
The standard Witcher 3 monster hunting flier usually starts a "Contract" quest, whereas the smaller, hand-written notes might just trigger a "Point of Interest" or a "Hidden Treasure" hunt.
Keep an eye out for mentions of "Witcher Work" specifically. Some villagers try to be clever and write "Exterminator Needed," while others are very specific about wanting a professional from the School of the Wolf. These often lead to the most complex encounters, like the fight against the Leshen in the woods of Skellige or the Royal Griffin that serves as your first real test.
Common Misconceptions About Quest Boards
A lot of people think you have to clear every board to "finish" an area. You don't. In fact, new notices can appear on boards after certain story beats. If you liberate a village from bandits (a "Person in Distress" or "Abandoned Site" event), the notice board will often refresh with new fliers. These new notes reflect the changing state of the world. They might thank the "stranger with the white hair" or complain about new taxes now that the village is safe again.
Another mistake? Thinking the flier is the start and end of the lore. The flier is just the "hook." The real meat of the story is usually found in a crumpled letter on a corpse near the monster’s den or a diary in a ransacked hut. The Witcher 3 monster hunting flier gets you to the location, but your Witcher Senses tell the rest of the tale.
Actionable Tips for Your Next Playthrough
To get the most out of the contract system, change how you interact with the world. Stop treating the game like a checklist.
Read the board first. Before you take the papers, read the titles. See what the community is worried about. It builds tension.
Negotiate every time. When you go to the person who posted the Witcher 3 monster hunting flier, don't just accept the base pay. Geralt is a professional. Use the "haggle" slider. Watch the NPC’s annoyance meter. Usually, you can squeeze out an extra 30-50 crowns, which adds up significantly in the early game when you’re trying to craft the Griffin or Cat School gear.
Check the "Common Items" section. Not every paper on the board starts a quest. Some are just flavor text. Read them anyway. They often contain hints about where to find rare crafting components or local rumors about "haunted" ruins that aren't officially marked on your map yet.
The monster hunting flier isn't a UI shortcut. It’s a narrative device. It reminds you that in Geralt’s world, every monster has a story, and every story has a price. Next time you're in Crow's Perch or Oxenfurt, take a second. Read the desperate scrawl of a father looking for his daughter or a farmer complaining about a "screeching beast." It makes the eventual kill feel a lot more earned.
Next Steps for Players:
Start by visiting the notice board in White Orchard if you're early in the game, specifically looking for the "Devil by the Well" contract. If you're further along, head to Skellige and look for the "Muire D'yaeblen" contract. Pay close attention to the reward offered versus the danger described; it’s a masterclass in environmental storytelling that defines the entire Witcher experience.